• $3,394 — the average employee contribution for family coverage when covered by employer, up 81 percent.

• $51,233 — the median household income, down 2.5 percent.

• 12 percent of private-sector employees work in businesses that do NOT offer health insurance, up 1.6 percent.

• 22 percent of employees were ineligible to participate in a company’s insurance plan, up 0.6 percent. Ineligibility includes length of time with company, hours worked and status.

• 13 million — the number of uninsured in the middle-class, up 2.4 percent.

• 43 million — the number of uninsured, up 1.7 percent.

In Kansas:

• $11,662 — the cost of a family insurance policy, up 56 percent.

• $4,197 — the cost of a single insurance policy, up 42 percent.

• $2,954 — the average employee contribution for family coverage when covered by employer, up 47 percent.

• $49,119 — the median household income, down 1.4 percent.

• 16 percent of private-sector employees work in businesses that do NOT offer health insurance, up 5 percent.

• 23 percent of employees were ineligible to participate in company’s insurance plan, up 0.5 percent.

• 77,000 — the number of uninsured in middle class, up 2.4 percent.

• 319,000 — the number of uninsured, up 1.8 percent.

The report was released as part of “Cover the Uninsured Week,” which is this week, March 14-20. It considers middle-income as those earning between 200 and 399 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s between $44,000 and $85,000 for a family of four.

More like this story on LJWorld.com

Comments

Not only are insurance premiums way up, but actual out-of-pocket costs for those insured are way up as well. The policies terms have changed. If you add together all the various co-pays, coinsurance, and deductibles, it's easy for an insured family to spend thousands more in a year than what they've already paid in insurance premiums for healthcare.

my son had 4 stitches at the ER in January -that is it no xray absolutely nothing else- total cost before insurance- almost $1200.00. My share after insurance almost $500.00 But that did include free removal of the stitches- how kind. The most expensive ice skating trip ever. As an added bonus..as of March 1 my plan offers no emergency room coverage at all.

Healthcare_Moocher (anonymous) says…
It is all well and good, but just who is going to pay for it? No matter what they decide to do, there is no money to pay for it. The root of the problem is the entitlement programs all over the place. Make people go to work, then there is more money in the system for things like this.

Yeah, and how can we expect the insurance companies to pay for it? They need to make a profit. So the rich can't give up their 4th vacation house, and poor and disabled are just busy mooching off everyone, so it falls on the middle class to carry the load. Problem is the rich are making sure the middle class keep shrinking. Then what will happen? The rich think that they will just go on being rich, but they don't know how angry people get when they are getting ripped off. They aren't going to be satisfied watching the lifestyle of the rich and famous when they can't afford the basic needs. Celebrity worship won't protect the rich then.

Comprehensive health care reform will cost the federal government $940 billion over a ten-year period, but will increase revenue and cut other costs by a greater amount, leading to a reduction of $138 billion in the federal deficit over the same period, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, a Democratic source tells HuffPost. It will cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the second ten year period.

The source said it also extends Medicare's solvency by at least nine years and reduces the rate of its growth by 1.4 percent, while closing the doughnut hole for seniors, meaning there will no longer be a gap in coverage of medication. The CBO also estimated it would extend coverage to 32 million additional people.

THEY are the source for the misinformation campaign against insurance reform = UNETHICAL

CANCEL YOUR MEDICAL INSURANCE TODAY UNTIL SUBSTANTIAL REFORM MATERIALIZES!
set up your own money making medical expense account
consumers will be money ahead
* nothing will change dramatically until consumers take matters into their own hands!

People who get up and go to work in the morning tend to get screwed in most things, lately.
If you're rich, you can pay for whatever you want, so it doesn't matter much what they do.
If you sit on your butt, Uncle Sam will take care of you.
If you work, you get screwed.
The incentives are misaligned.

Atlas I agree with you.
Independent analyses have shown that the numbers the government is projecting are wrong. In fact, I was reading the other day that premiums will go up with Obamacare and not down.

On another note, with the Social Security Administration cashing in on bonds (IOU's from our dear Government) why on earth are we looking to spend more money (that we don't have) and expand the power of an already dysfunctional Washington?

"Yeah, and how can we expect the insurance companies to pay for it? They need to make a profit."

And, um, how do you expect the government is going to pay for it, with tax revenues falling off? Yes, the economy is showing signs of receovery, but another recession/depression could happen at any time. What happens when you turn the whole deal over to the feds to pay for, and the feds don't have the money? Oh, that's right, raise taxes - as long as it's on someone else's income, right, tomato?

"Problem is the rich are making sure the middle class keep shrinking. Then what will happen?"

For one thing, we'll have more rich people. When you get done with your class-jealous rant, take a look at what income brackets are shrinking and which are growing - there are fewer people in the middle class because the so-called upper-class is growing.

cowboy (anonymous) says…

"Comprehensive health care reform will cost the federal government $940 billion over a ten-year period, but will increase revenue and cut other costs by a greater amount, leading to a reduction of $138 billion in the federal deficit over the same period, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, a Democratic source tells HuffPost. It will cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the second ten year period."

1) Even the White House has pretty much stopped trying to label this 'health care reform' and is now mostly calling it 'health insurance reform', since it does nothing to reform health CARE in any way, shape, or form.

2) Those deficit reductions were announced before Pelosio announced her latest round of 'pot sweeteners' - which is typical, as the CBO only takes into account statutory expenditures, and doesn't consider discretionary expenses Congress tacks on later.

3) The CBO has also said that the cost of health insurance premiums will continue to rise. The out-of-pocket premiums for some people will go down because of the subsidies, but a) not everyone will get the subsidies, b) one of the ways they kept the cost of the 'reforms' down was to slow the rate of inflation-driven increases in the subsidies, and c) the continuing-to-increase premiums will be paid for through higher taxes; so while the government might save money, WE will continue to pay more and more.

"The source said it also extends Medicare's solvency by at least nine years ..."

Probably longer. The estimates on the savings due to Medicare cuts are probably too low. Why? Because fewer and fewer providers are accepting Medicare anyway, and that will get worse as they cut their reimbursements further. So we'll save a lot of money on Medicare because no providers will be accepting Medicare. Unfortunately, that means the additional costs will be born by those patients - but scr*w 'em, they're old, right?

Cancel your medical insurance today until substantial reform materializes!
set up your own money making medical expense account
consumers will be money ahead
nothing will change dramatically until consumers take matters into their own hands!
insurance premium money at the moment supports a ton of corruption!

If you truly want to dialogue and not just name call and strawman this or any other political debate, here is a suggested reading and/or watching list for those who just don't understand crazy progressives (like me). Some are more provocative than others. I would welcome a similar list from those with opposing points of view. Please Note: the only reason the listings are from amazon was for convenience---I am not in anyway suggesting you buy or don't buy any of these from amazon or any other vendor--you could always check them out at a totally free "socialist" library.

It is not my problem that YOU cant pay for your basic needs. Why should I take money from my family and pay for yours? I have a good idea... you need my money... I don't have a wife. You want to share with me? You are asking for me to share something that is mine with you. It is only fair, isn't it?

Number one, I have one of those cadillac plans they were talking about taxing. I have no deductible, and pay only a $15 copay, so you aren't paying anything for me. I wouldn't want to share my money with you, because I have a lot more than you do. I'm sorry you do not consider yourself a part of society, which is why you probably don't have a wife. You pay, whether or not you think so. But I would rather my money go to help someone make a less expensive office visit, than an expensive trip to the emergency room. That's what working poor people have to do. If they aren't working, they have a medical card. I'll bet you treat the clerk in a grocery store who probably has 2 jobs just to pay the bills like low lives. If you would learn to be human, then you might find a wife to share with.

first off what middle class?? I think the middle class died off long time ago round bout the time that the political giants grew another inch or two. What is upper class?? Does one have to live in the senate or house of reps to qualify??

What does health insurance have to do with it??? What if they regulate the healthcare industry and make set costs for certain procedures. And for meds, make them a certain price. Make it so health care can be priced at what it wants

"Let me get this straight......we're trying to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also is exempt from it and hasn't read it, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke.